The Gilded Core is the fortified inner sanctum of Neo-Europa—a district reserved for the city’s most elite citizens, including the Seven Noble Houses, high-tier executives, Council staff, and select legacy dynasties. Heavily surveilled and access-restricted, the Gilded Core represents both the crown and the cage of the city’s ruling architecture.
It is a place of silence, precision, and control—where polished stone meets smartglass, and every street is a statement.
Overview
- District Type: Elite political and residential zone
- Population Estimate: < 1 million
- Known For: Tower spires, corporate citadels, ceremonial architecture
- Governed By: Council of Nobles
- Primary Access: Clearance-tiered transit only, biometric gating, neural ID scan
Layout and Design
The Gilded Core is designed around elegance and verticality:
- Tower complexes for each of the Seven Families, including the Serhugh Spire, dominate the skyline
- Interconnected aerial causeways link critical Council buildings, shielded from street-level visibility
- The ground level features quiet plazas, elite shopping corridors, and ceremonial paths flanked by AI-managed greenery
Every structure is curated for visual impact—architecture here is *symbol*, not utility.
Key Locations
- Serhugh Spire – One of the tallest towers in Neo-Europa and headquarters of Serhugh Group
- The Velvet Spine – A ceremonial corridor leading to the Council Hall, lined with noble banners and neural dampening fields
- Council Hall of Neo-Europa – Seat of the Council of Nobles, featuring encrypted debate chambers and AI-protected memory vaults
- The Mirror Garden – A crystalline, interactive park that reflects the mood and biometric state of its visitors
Security and Access
- The Core is surrounded by multiple security perimeters, physical and digital
- Entry requires clearance implants and emotional calibration
- Internal AI drones monitor microexpressions and biometrics 24/7
- Flight paths are restricted—no personal aerial vehicles allowed
Social Structure
- Residents include Council Nobles, their families, senior corporate dynasts, and trusted advisors
- Most residents live in glass-walled high-altitude housing with private AI attendants
- Physical servants are rare—most functions are performed by tailored service algorithms
Cultural Role
- The Gilded Core is where decisions are made, power is flaunted, and narratives are controlled
- Fashion, architecture, and speech trends filter from here down into the Middle Ring and eventually to the Smart Slums
- Media coverage is tightly controlled—dramas are staged, scandals are redirected, and the streets are always pristine on camera
Criticism and Myth
- Often described as a golden cage—a place of luxury with no freedom
- Some slum cults believe the Core is built atop a buried god or AI
- Rumors persist of secret tunnels, clone backups of Council members, and private Chapel Nodes used for hidden rituals